FDA Approves Nivolumab for Adjuvant Treatment of Urothelial Carcinoma
On August 19, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved nivolumab (Opdivo®) for the adjuvant treatment of patients with urothelial carcinoma (UC) who are at high risk for recurrence after undergoing radical resection.
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HHS HIV Challenge Encourages Community Engagement to Reduce HIV-Related Stigma and Disparities
The negative stigma surrounding HIV can affect patients’ emotional well-being and mental health, and the stigma can come from anywhere: healthcare professionals, communities, and even themselves. In partnership with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health and Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health created the HIV Challenge, a community engagement program to reduce HIV-related stigma and disparities by “providing an opportunity for individuals and organizations to participate in developing novel innovative approaches that can be successfully implemented within their local communities.”
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Nursing Representation Is Critical in All Industries—Even Those Outside of Health Care
Nurses’ skills, experiences, leadership, and voices are more relevant than ever before, and more and more ONS members are sharing their knowledge and expertise beyond the bedside to improve health throughout the community.
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Bipartisan Senate Legislation Could Boost U.S. Public Health Preparedness
The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has shed light on the U.S. healthcare system’s wide range of issues, from accessibility to barriers and social determinants of health. The country must respond with strategies to address future public health emergencies, the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee said in an April 2021 letter.
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FDA Expands Recall to Include Four Additional Lots of Varenicline Tablets Because of N-Nitroso Varenicline Content
On August 16, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported Pfizer’s voluntary recall of an additional four lots of varenicline 0.5mg/1 mg tablets to the patient level because of the presence of N-nitroso-varenicline, a nitrosamine, above the Pfizer-established acceptable daily intake level. To date, Pfizer has not received any reports of adverse events that have been related to the recall. FDA reported Pfizer’s recall of 12 lots of varenicline tablets because of N-nitroso varenicline content on July 19, 2021.
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Telehealth Is a Rare Bipartisan Advocacy Priority
Nursing has long been associated with healing hands. Laying hands on patients’ bodies is personal and intimate, providing comfort, soothing reassurance, strength, and hope. It builds a sacred trust that engenders care. When that foundational element of nursing was removed to follow social distancing protocols during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, nurses found a new avenue to connect with their patients—through the use of telehealth.
Researchers Study Innate Immunity Throughout History to Determine New Methods of Cancer Treatment
Evolution may be the key to understanding immunity—or at least the National Institutes of Health (NIH) thinks so. Studies of the history of human life could uncover discoveries that have implications for all types of disease, including cancer.
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FDA Grants Accelerated Approval to Dostarlimab-gxly for dMMR Advanced Solid Tumors
On August 17, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to dostarlimab-gxly (Jemperli®) for adult patients with mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) recurrent or advanced solid tumors, as determined by an FDA-approved test, that have progressed on or following prior treatment and who have no satisfactory alternative treatment options.
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Whole-Genome Sequencing May Guide Treatment Choices for AML and MDS
When compared to conventional testing on the same samples from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), whole-genome sequencing–based testing detected the same abnormalities—and new genetic information in about a quarter of patients, potentially changing treatment selection for more than half of those patients, researchers said in the New England Journal of Medicine.
HHS Releases New Practice Guidelines to Expand Treatment Accessibility to Americans With Opioid Use Disorder
Access to treatment for opioid use disorder is a priority in the Biden-Harris administration’s healthcare program, with resources from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) dedicated to raise awareness of the issue. In April 2021, HHS released new practice guidelines to expand evidence-based treatment to more Americans with opioid use disorder.